Detroit Pistons rout Sixers at home
By Ricky LaBlue
The Detroit Pistons were expected to win this game, and they rode a hot start to a blowout of the lowly Sixers.
Final. 111. 64. 91. 93
This is the type of the game the Pistons sorely needed. Detroit is missing two key cogs off the bench and was still able to rely on guys like Reggie Bullock and Aron Baynes. The Pistons owned this game from the beginning, leading by 13 points after the first quarter. The rout continued, as Detroit took a whopping 65-42 lead into the break.
If the Pistons are going to make the playoffs, these are the sorts of games where you just have to take care of business. Detroit simply over matched Philly tonight. Detroit has now won two in a row and is back to .500. A win on the road against the Bucks on Saturday would be huge.
C. Reggie had a rather ordinary game tonight. Luckily, the Pistons didn’t need him to be great. He also did commit five turnovers against an awful defense. He needs to grow more as a distributor if the Pistons are going to take the next step.. PG. Pistons. REGGIE JACKSON
B. Caldwell-Pope didn’t provide much offensively, but was his usual self on the defensive end. he also had the second-highest plus-minus tonight. Caldwell-Pope is growing into the quite the two-way guard this season.. SG. Pistons. KENTAVIOUS CALDWELL-POPE
MARCUS MORRIS. B-. Morris had the highest plus-minus, and played relatively well tonight. I still see him settling for too many contested mid-range shots, and it shows. He was only 4 of 14 from the field against the Sixers, which is saying something. He did however distribute well tonight, compiling eight assists.. SF. Pistons
A-. Hard to not like a guy scoring 22 points on just 12 shot attempts. The Pistons are going to need him to be efficient as long as they lack depth. Without Tolliver and Johnson, Harris will need to continue to either make shots or keep the ball moving so others can get a look. Harris is definitely talented, I’m just hoping this continues.. PF. Pistons. TOBIAS HARRIS
ANDRE DRUMMOND. B. I thought Drummond really help the Pistons run away with this game. He was good against Okafor early on, and was able to total 18 rebounds. He’s been logging a lot of minutes lately, so it’s nice to see him only get 27 minutes of run tonight.. C. Pistons
C. Pistons. ARON BAYNES. B. Baynes played very well tonight, making shots and doing the dirty work inside. 4 of 8 shooting with seven rebounds is a quality line for a back up big man. I think Baynes has done very well of the bench this season, replacing Drummond when needed.
I haven’t been a really been a big fan of Steve Blake this season, and this game shows why. When Blake entered the game, the offense seemed to stall. He doesn’t make many plays, and isn’t that great of a shooter anymore. Unfortunately, losing Brandon Jennings means that Blake is the only one left. The Pistons are going to need better performances from him.. PG. Pistons. STEVE BLAKE. C-
Inc. Anthony only played in garbage time, so it’s hard to really judge him on that. Pistons’ fans should be happy he didn’t need to see the floor.. C. Pistons. JOEL ANTHONY
G. Hilliard was wildly inefficient tonight, but I kind of like seeing the young guy put some shots up. I have high hopes for Hilliard down the road. With Meeks out, and the Thornton trade being voided, Hilliard might end up playing a larger role down the stretch.. SG. Pistons. DARRUN HILLIARD II
SG. Pistons. REGGIE BULLOCK. G. Bullock doesn’t get many opportunities, but he sure took advantage of it tonight. Bullock went 3-5 from beyond the arc and hit six shots overall. Bullock, and Hilliard, will be needed down the stretch to provide depth on the perimeter.
Pistons. JUSTIN HARPER. Inc. The former D-League player saw some garbage time tonight. Definitely good for him to see the floor, but I’m not sure he brings enough to warrant a roster spot.. PF
Head Coach. Pistons. STAN VAN GUNDY. B+. Van Gundy gets props for a blowout win, but more so for making sure he got his starters rest. Only one starter played more than 30 minutes tonight. For a team that relies heavily on their starting five, those guys need rest. I thought Van Gundy’s game plan worked well, especially early on. Detroit was moving the ball very well and getting open looks.